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This teacher needs your help!

Mrs. Kirshen from Pleasant Hill, CA is requesting lab equipment through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Mrs. Kirshen is requesting

Animals in the Classroom

Help me give my students tadpoles, millipedes, hornworms and supplies to keep a variety of classroom pets like rats, geckos, fish and a turtle happy and healthy.

FULLY FUNDED! Mrs. Kirshen's classroom raised $878

This project is fully funded

My Students

My 7th and 8th grade students are a diverse group, representing a variety of socio-economic levels, academic ability levels, nationalities and more. We are a full-inclusion school, so I teach all students, including those with special needs, gifted, and English learners.

All of them receive a rigorous STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) and humanities education, along with a wide variety of engaging and relevant elective courses.

Following STEM principles, we have developed activity-based science courses in which students are guided through the topics while acquiring skills in experimentation, measuring, and lab techniques.

I believe science class should be fun, relevant, and engaging. I want students to love science so much that they choose to study it in high school and college.

My Project

Living creatures are beautiful and fascinating in their diversity. Hornworms and millipedes are captivating to students. Students can hold these insects, study their movement, sketch their bodies, and appreciate how well adapted they are to the lives that they lead. The tadpoles will also fascinate students and will allow students to observe the change from tadpole to frog over many months. Each week students will observe and sketch the changes that have happened with the tadpole.

All of our classroom pets are loved by my students and teach them so much about caring for nature.

The leopard gecko, rats and turtle are excellent classroom pets to not only teach students about the species, but help them learn about the care of living creatures. Students take them out daily to interacting with them and help care for them. Many of our classroom pets need new supplies to keep them healthy. Our rats are in desperate need of a new cage with beds hanging in the cage, bedding in the bottom of the cage, chew toys and food. Our geckos will be laying eggs soon and need a breeding box, sand for in their cage and heaters. Myrtle the Turtle makes a mess in her tank and is in need of a water filter and heater. Betta fish in a tank with a thermometer will allow students to observe the diversity of 3 different betta fish in one small area.

Students learn much more about biology when they are surrounded by real, living specimens. Properly caring for living creatures requires a lot of supplies. These creatures help students to be engaged in science class and make a connection with their studies that would not be possible if they were limited to textbooks and white walls.

Mrs. Kirshen Sequoia Middle School Grades 6-8

Equity Focus

This project directly supports students at a historically underfunded school. Learn more about our Equity Focus.

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Pleasant Hill, CA View local requests

Half of students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

200 students impacted 3donors

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TEACHERS, FEELING INSPIRED?

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
Kaytee My First Home Multi-Level Habitat for Exotics, 30.5” x 18” x 30” • Amazon Business $74.99 1 $74.99
Millipede Habitat • Carolina Biological Supply Company $54.85 1 $54.85
F.M. Brown's Tropical Carnival Gourmet Pet Mouse and Rat Food with Fruits, Veggies, Seeds, and Grains, Vitamin-Nutrient Fortified Daily Diet, 2lb • Amazon Business $9.99 5 $49.95
Small Pet Select JMWB Unbleached White Paper Bedding, 178 L • Amazon Business $39.99 1 $39.99
AUOKER Reptile Heating Pad with Temperature Control, Adjustable 20 W Heat Mat for Reptiles Turtle, Tortoise, Snakes, Lizard, Gecko, Spider, Mammals, Crawler - Safety Turtle Aquarium Terrarium Heater • Amazon Business $12.98 3 $38.94
Oxbow Essentials Mouse and Young Rat Natural Pet Food Pellets 2.5 Pounds Bag • Amazon Business $12.85 3 $38.55
Hornworm Amazing Bugs Kit (with live hornworm larvae) • Carolina Biological Supply Company $33.07 1 $33.07
Exo Terra Gecko Cave for Reptiles, Large • Amazon Business $15.75 2 $31.50
Aqueon Betta Falls Kit, Black • Amazon Business $29.99 1 $29.99
Zilla Premium Reflector Dome, Black 8.5" • Amazon Business $12.34 2 $24.68
Reptile Sciences Terrarium Sand, 10-Pound, Black • Amazon Business $12.21 2 $24.42
Zilla Aquatic Reptile Internal Filter - Size 20 • Amazon Business $23.58 1 $23.58
Millipede, Living, Pack of 3 • Carolina Biological Supply Company $22.95 1 $22.95
Zilla-Replacement Filter Carridges Medium-3 Pack 09830 • Amazon Business $9.42 2 $18.84
Options Pod Carrier Large (assorted) • Amazon Business $18.58 1 $18.58
Bullfrog Tadpoles, Living, Medium, up to 1-1/2 • Carolina Biological Supply Company $18.45 1 $18.45
OMAYKEY 2-Pack 75W Ceramic Heat Lamp, Infrared Reptile Heat Emitter Heater Lamp Bulb for Pet Brooder Coop Chicken Lizard Turtle Snake Aquarium, No Light No Harm • Amazon Business $14.44 1 $14.44
Mkono Hamster Guinea Pig Bed Small Animal Cage Supplies Hammock House Hideout for Rat Hedgehog Ferret Chinchilla • Amazon Business $13.99 1 $13.99
Choco Nose H128 Patented No Drip Small Animal Water Bottle. Best Water Bottle for Small Pet/Bunny/ Ferret/Hamster/ Critter. BPA Free. 11.2 Oz. Nozzle Diameter: 10mm (Blue) • Amazon Business $11.99 1 $11.99
Alfie Pet by Petoga Couture - Kasey Hammock for Mouse, Chinchilla, Rat, Gerbil and Dwarf Hamster - Color: Grey Green, Size: Medium • Amazon Business $9.99 1 $9.99
MAIYUAN Apple Sticks Pet Snacks Chew Toys for Guinea Pigs Chinchilla Squirrel Rabbits Hamster (200g) • Amazon Business $9.99 1 $9.99
Kaytee Grassy Roll-a-Nest Hideout for Small Animals • Amazon Business $8.30 1 $8.30
SunGrow 3 Betta Sticker Thermometers - Ensure Optimum Comfort Around 78 Degrees - Accurately Measures Temperature - Large Font for Quick Reading - Keep Fish Healthy - 1 Minute to Set-up • Amazon Business $7.95 1 $7.95
OMEM Reptile Breeding Box,Reptile Egg Incubators,Hatchery Box, for Hatching Gecko,Lizards, Lions Mane, Reptiles (No Thermometer, Transparent Box) • Amazon Business $7.65 1 $7.65
Tadpole Food, 250 g • Carolina Biological Supply Company $7.15 1 $7.15

Materials cost

$634.78

Vendor shipping charges

 $13.65

Sales tax

 $58.08

3rd party payment processing fee

$9.52

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$746.03

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$131.65

Total project goal

$877.68

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $877.68

3 Donors

-$789.45

Donations toward project cost

-$746.03

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$43.42

Excluded support for DonorsChoose

-$88.23

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

 $0.00

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Kirshen and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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